Owls fall to Miami as Hurricanes sweep season series

FAU had five chances to beat a ranked team this season, and the Owls went 0-5 after losing to No. 22 Miami 3-1 Tuesday in Coral Gables.

It was the third loss of the season to the No. 22 Hurricanes. The Owls also lost twice to Central Florida, which is ranked No. 14 in the latest Baseball America poll.

Miami (27-14) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.

Tuesday proved to be FAU’s best chance for a win of the five games, as the Owls took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Miami tied it in the third, went up 2-1 in the fourth and got an insurance run in the eighth on a home run by Michael Broad.

Miami starter Javi Salas had a strong outing, allowing one run on six hits in six innings while striking out 10 to earn the win. FAU used six pitchers in the game, with Austin Gomber taking the loss.

Miami now leads the all-time series with FAU 51-10. FAU took 2-of-3 from Miami last year.

A win against a ranked team would have given FAU’s RPI a boost. The RPI is a factor when the NCAA selection committee picks at-large teams to fill the 64 team field for the tournament.

FAU leads the Sun Belt at 13-3, but would need to win the post-season tournament to earn the conference’s automatic bid.

FAU is off until Friday, when they start a three-game conference series against Troy in Alabama.